Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-03-10

be sown by Feb . 10 to 15; the plants will
need transplanting, about 200 per sash,
month later. say March 10, into quite
cold bed, but not entirely cold, that is,
it should have very gentle bottom heat,
such as is to be found in an old hotbed
from which has just been taken crop
of lettuce or radishes. Radish seed, also,
Of the French breakfast and long scarlet
varieties. are sown upon very mild heat
If an old bed is not at hand the N lid
heat is produced by using about six to
eight inches of fresh manure covered
with ten inches of loan. The heat of
the bed is regulated by the proportion of
depth given to the manure and loan used
over 1t; and, as will be observed, is less
than half what is usually recommended
when the bed is built above
the surface of the grouEd--a method
very troublesome and well calculated to
disgust whoever tries it, with the cons
tant necessity Of watering and airing to
say nothing of the greater risk of having
the glass smashed by gusts of wind when
raised high above the surface of the
ground. Such beds are never seen when
the garden is run for profit, but only in
the hands of the comparatively ignorant
amateur of gentleman's gardener.
The seed of tomatoes, cucumbers, egg
plants and peppers will require warmer
bed than the comparative hardy lettuce,
etc. For this purpose use more heat, at
least twelve inches and less loom, four to
six. inches, and the Thermometer should
1ndlcete in the loom 6O0 to 75o to make
them come quickly. These tender seeds
are not usually sOwn before March l, and
In case of severe weather will need close
covering. The worst weather is snow
storm, when if not carefully aired and
handled the plants are often lost. Cover
with shutters over the mats when cold; if
the bed works warm give little air even
at night, unless the weather is very severe
and windy. At night it is enough to place
lath flat wise under every third sash at
the north side. If the bed should not be
above 60" it will not need airing at all by
night, and by bright sunlight the plants
will bear & temperature of 100 or 15o
higher than at night. Try to keep the
plants growing but with stocky growth
not drawn up or long legged.
The seeds OF many of our most attrac-
tive ANNALS for towering, and also the
bulbs may be most conveniently started in
hotbeds In the same way as vegetables, and
Towering season thus fastened by month
or six weeks. Care should 30 taken to
plant those of hardy nature together,
and handle them as advised above for
cabbage plants, while those of a tender
character should be handled like tomatoes
or egg plants.
The hotbed has the great advantage in
growing plants for spring for setting
out of doors over the greenhouse that
they can be more freely and easily aired
In tine weather, giving the plants such
vigorous and hearty growth that when
they go out TO the field they will scarcely
wilt at ALL but will grow on continuously.
No one should undertake to run hot
beds who cannot easily give their con-
slant care and attention. They need to
be covered every night with mats if the
weather IS at all cold, and in severe
weather and with tender plants shutters
should be placed over the mats in cold
and raiMy weather. When the rsun shines
brightly they will need more or less air,
in giving which good deal of expert
enc9 and good Judgment are required to
produce the best results, and neglect even
for an hour is sometimes fatal.
The work requires more patience and
care than muscle, though after deep
snow-storms it is no small job to shovel
OH the snow from the many hundreds of
saskes to be found on some Of our large
gardens. We are often asked what profit
can be realized from a weli-managed hot
bed? The answer will depend largely upon
thesklll of the man who runs it, and also
largely upon that combination of circum-
stances usually called luck. We have
Known case of single crop of cucum-
beers forced early to sell for $40 per sash;
tkHs was, however, only one chance in
fifty years, with one of cur most skillful
gardeners. We once sold single crop of
lettuce, which produced $3.50 per sash,
early dandelions sometime yield So per
sash, and radishes 81 to So. But he is a
very good gardener and has more than
average luck who can make the gross
saaes from his glass average for the sea
son over S. per sash, and those who do
setter may congratulate themselves on
more than the average.